In With the New

With a new year around the corner, I wanted to share a few things I was told repeatedly when I first started out as a Burlesque Dancer. Below is a list of these pieces of advice experience has proven to be untrue. So out with the old and in with the new!

1. Have a stage persona.

It’s been covered on here before, so I’ll keep it short and sweet. Be true to yourself and your audience. They will love you all the more for it. People can spot a fake from a mile away.

See, Ally Katte & I like giant sandwiches in real life and on stage! (c) David Hammonds

2. Look through audience not at them.

Look individual audience members straight in the eye, make your smile, your body language for them. Lure them in to the story you are telling on stage. If you are looking through them, again, you’re selling your audience short.

3. Be empowered.

The audience is not paying to see your therapy session. Burlesque is something that travels through you, that comes from with in. If you feel empowered by performing, that’s great, go for it, but it can’t be your primary goal. Your primary goal is to put on an awesome show, everything else is lagniappe.

4. Everyone’s a bitch.

This is a self-fufilling prophecy. If you expect everyone to be a bitch, that’s what will happen! Go in to every backstage with Love and Respect and you’ll do pretty well. Sure, you’ll meet a few buttholes along the way, but that’s just the way it is sometimes.

I think I’ve met a few people who live here.

The same is true if you worked in an office or in retail. You’re an artist, you’re not above dealing with the odd jerk or having a bad day. Even if you do have the most awesome job in the world!